Key-ring.



115.7%,094. I PATENTED SEPT.1'5,.1908.- J. s. LEWIS.

KEY RING.

APPLIGATION FILED MAY 11, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES PATE T OF ICE.

I fatenteol September 15, 1903.

JOSEPH S. LEWIS, OF MILTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

KEY-RING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 739,094, dated September 15, 1903.

Application filed May 11, 1903.

To all whom-it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH S. LEWIS, acitizen of the United States, residing at Milton, in the county of Northumberland and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Key-Ring, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in key-rings, and has for its principal object to provide a novel form of ring from Which the. key or keys cannot be removed without considerable difficulty, the device to some extent being in the nature of a puzzle and applicable to ring structures generally, and although principally intended for the reception of keys the bow of the key may be replaced by an article of any similar construction and the device placed on the market as a puzzle.

With this and other objects in view the in- I vention consists in the novel construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understood that various changes in the form, proportions, size, and

- minor details of the structure may be made without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any 'of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the device,illustrating the ring in position thereon. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the first step in the removal of the key. Figs. 3 and 4 further illustrate the meth 0d of removal of the key. Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view of the ring on the line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

The ring is formed of spring-wire bent some what in the form of a trefoiland comprising three interlacing loops 1, 2, and 3, the wire crossing alternately over and under the portions which form the loops and the ends of the wire being brought together at 4.

In following out the construction of the ring, starting from 4, the wire is curved to form the first loop 1 and thence to form the second loop 2. The wire passes first under and then over the loop 1 and thence under the loop 2 to the point of starting. The two ends are provided Serial No. 156,677. (No model.)

with beveled portions, and these beveled portions overlap and are held closely together by the inherent spring tendency of the wire, as well as from the fact that the two end portions pass on opposite sides of the loop 2, and are thus held in engagement with each other by said loop.

In the present instance a single key 5 is shown on the ring, the bow of the key receiving the outer portion of loop 2. To remove the key, it is necessary to first pass the key-shank through the space formed by separating the beveled ends of the ring. The key is now in such position that its shank crosses the general diametral line of the ring, the parts assuming the position shown in Fig. 2, with the bow of the key engaging the outer portion of the loop 2, while the shank is in front of the adjacent end portions of the loops 1 and 3 and thence extends inward through the central portion of the ring, its lower portion being to the rear of the lower portions of the loops. In this position the key is moved in the direction of the arrow until it assumes the position shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, after which the key is turned, so that the bow may be slid to the position shown in Fig. 4, and from thence readilydisengaged from the ring by passing the bow between the ends 4.

In place of the trefoil arrangement illustrated the ring may be in the form of a quatrefoil or cinquefoil, the'construction other wise remaining the same.

With a device of this character it becomes exceedingly difficult for a person to detach a key from a ring unless first acquainted with the construction of the device, while at the same time the cost of construction is no greater than that of the common form of key-ring. The device is further advantageous in that by crossing the end portions of the ring or disposing the same on opposite sides of the adjacent loop the beveled and overlapping endswill be held in closer engagement with each other than where no auxiliary means are employed for holding the ring in locked or closed position. y

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is.-

1. A key-ring formed of a piece of wire bent in the form of a plurality of loops of which each loop interlaces with all of the other loops, the ends of the wire being brought together to form a joint.

2. A key-ring formed of a piece of wire bent 5 in the form of a plurality of crossing and interlacing loops, the ends of the wire being brought together to form a joint.

3. A key-ring formed of apiece of wire bent into the form of a plurality of crossing and incent to the ends being disposed on opposite sides of one of the loops, thereby to assist in holding such ends closely together.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as x 5 my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH s. LEWIS.

\Vitnesses IO terlacing loops, the ends of the Wire being I J ROSS COLHOUN,

SAMUEL A. ACKEB.

beveled and overlapping, and the wire adja- 

